Magnificent Myra - or Is It?

Located in the sleepy, modern day town of Demre, Turkey, Myra was once one of the largest and most important cities of the Lycian Union. While there is no written mention of the town before the 1st century BC, it must have been established for quite some time to achieve that ranking.

But little remains of the ancient metropolis. Why aren't there more finds for a city of this significance?

Most archaeologists agree that the majority of the city is still buried under 6 meters (18 feet!) of alluvial silt deposited by the Myros River.

What Do We Actually Know About Myra?

Nowadays, Demre is not much more than a quaint Turkish village, housing bountiful, wall-to-wall greenhouses and a museum honouring St. Nicholas. But we know that the secrets of days gone by in ancient Myra are hidden just below the surface.